There For You
by Princess Santa Clause
Summary: The war is over and peace has returned to Konoha, but Kurenai is now left to contemplate her life. With a million things on her mind, she decides to run them through her scattered brain. However, what happens when an old colleague of hers decides to pay a visit? Minor Romance, Kakashi x Kurenai. Oneshot.


The sun was setting in the training fields. It hadn't been this quiet or peaceful since before the whole ordeal with the Akatsuki. The gentle breeze stirred the trees, causing flurries of leaves to swirl about in the air overhead. All was silent aside from said wind, a few crickets and birds chirping, and the sound of the water droplets subtly dropping into the nearby creek. Out in the grass, staring up at the sunset, was a woman. Her black hair was a little less than neat, yet the look had always seemed to suit her. Said locks trailed down a couple of inches passed her mid-back Her white, bandaged style dress was always an indication of her identity to those that had only heard of her, and she wore it proudly. She extended her legs out into the sun-warmed grass below her as her crimson eyes gazed into the setting sun.  
To just anyone passing by, it would seem she was simply admiring the vivid colors displayed through the usually blue sky, but anyone that knew her personally would be sure to know something was on her mind.  
Not just one something, a million somethings. What would she do with her life now? Asuma was gone... Her squad was mature and strong now..likely ready to move on with their lives and ninja careers by becoming independents. To top it all off. She was alone. Alone with the little bundle next to her in the grass who had been so quiet that it was almost guaranteed he was asleep. For a brief moment, she glanced over at the sleeping infant, reaching over and brushing her hand lightly over his fine, thin, black hair.  
A light, inaudible sigh brushed passed her glossy, crimson-red lips as she contemplated everything that had occurred in her life over the passed year. Seemed like everything had gone from bad to worse...  
"Kurenai?"  
The woman whirled around quickly, the light surprise from another being there causing her heart to beat faster.  
"Oh..Kakashi.. It's just you.." She sighed, placing her hand on her chest. The silver haired jonn had appeared so quickly with such silence and stealth that she hadn't even noticed his approach. No. That wasn't it. She was likely just so consumed by her own thoughts that she had blocked out the world around her.  
Kakashi came to take a seat on a small, grassy incline beside his colleague and friend, "What are you doing here this time of day?" He questioned with somewhat worry which he expertly masked with an appearance and tone of mild curiosity.  
"Ah. Just came here for the peace. Clear my mind. Things like that." She glanced up at him, looking more at his face in general rather than simply his eyes, "What about you.?"  
"The same. I come here just about every day around this time. It's a good place to collect your thoughts."  
"Mhm.."  
That silent phase of the conversation crept it. In wasn't exactly an awkward one, but it was a bit unnerving. The silence was shattered like glass by the baby's ear-splitting cry. It pounded mercilessly against their ears until Kurenai lifted the infant into her arms, yet even then it wouldn't stop.  
"Shhh... Don't cry.. it's alright.." She lightly assured her bundle of joy, gingerly moving her fingers over his cheeks to brush away his tiny tears. It would seem as if he would never stop, for every moment she had cleared his delicate face of the tears, more would roll down from his coal-black eyes to replace them.  
Though it wasn't working out the way she had planned, Kakashi was still taken slightly aback by this display of motherhood. There were quite a few kunoichi in the village that Kakashi would not expect to have these instincts, and while it was not an insult, Kurenai was one of these women. Seeing her predicament, and always having that intuition to assist, the silver haired Jonin awkwardly reached out his hands, silently asking for the woman to hand over the child in her arms. Reluctantly, she did so.  
Now Kakashi certainly was not a father, and he certainly never picture himself as being one, but he always believed he would make a fitting one when the time came. He glanced down at the child, feeling an instant connection being formed. The infant's small rosy cheeks, stained with bitter tears, his small arms and even tinier hands where his little fingers wiggled from, his thin black hair that stationed itself just over his coal black eyes. Oi. Those coal black eyes are what got him. He looked into them, seemingly hypnotized by the baby boy's features. The baby tilted his head, stopping his crying as he cooed the words of infant gibberish His fragile hand reached up, placing itself gently on Kakashi's mask as if curious with the unusual fabric that covered half of his holder's face. Kakashi sweat-dropped placing his hand on that of the young boy's and giving it back to him.  
"Wow, Kakashi...You really have a way with him.." Kurenai noted, leaning her chin onto her knee caps and wrapping her arms around them as a younger version of herself would do. She admired this, for it was a side of him anyone rarely had the opportunity to see. The delightfully sweet, gentle kind of man that she knew he was.  
The jonin gave a light chuckle, watching the baby look up at the even brighter colors that streamed over the sky as the sunset furthered itself along, "It must be hard taking care of him..." He said, his voice riddled with mild concern. He didn't want to point out that she was alone doing this. Of course he didn't want to do that, not if it would add any more emotional stress.  
"Hmm..It's tough..but we manage. Asuma left him to me, so I will do anything I can to make sure he is taken care of." Replied Kurenai, a small smile decorating her lips as she fondly remembered him.  
"Mhm...you're brave.." Kakashi told her genuinely.  
"Brave..? How am I brave..?" she lifted her chin from her knee and glanced at him with a raised brow.  
"You're taking on this responsibility all on your own. It's admirable."  
"I guess so.. Thank you."  
"It's nothing." Kakashi replied with a nod, glancing down at the child in his arms who had now drifted off into slumber land, "But you do know you don't have to do it by yourself."  
"Hm?" The Crimson eyed woman glanced over at Kakashi, curious about his last statement.  
"I'll help look after you. After all, after the danger passes, we must look after each other even more so.." He said, turning his head so that he did not look her in the eye.  
"You don't have to, Kakashi. I know you're a busy person," Insisted Kurenai.  
"I want to."  
Kurenai glanced up at him, seeing he had turned his head back to her so that they were now locked in an intimate gazed, backdropped by the setting sun.  
"Besides.. I guess being a father wouldn't be such a bad experience.." Mumbled Kakashi who turned his head at the last moment, using his gloved hand to hike up his mask a bit in order to cover the blush that spread across the top half of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.  
"A father..." Kurenai said to herself under her breath. She smiled, standing and picking her baby up out of Kakashi's arms. It was getting late, and with the sun now down, it would likely get cold so it was around a good time for her to be getting her son home. "I would like that.." She said, still lightly but still loud enough to reach his ears, a faint sketch of pink winding over her cheeks as well.  
Kakashi glanced up at her and turned his head, slightly embarrassed by his uncharacteristic blushing phases, "I'm..Sure. Just tell me whenever you need me to help."  
"Of course..I think I can manage that. Good night, Kakashi." The woman leaned down, gently pecking the upper portion of his cheek that was not covered by the mask before turning on her heel and walking away with a bit more spirit in the way that she walked.  
Kakashi on the other hand was frozen for a moment, caught off guard by what had just occurred He cleared his throat free of the air that had lodged itself there and stood, unzipping his green jonin jacket to allow some airflow since it had suddenly gotten pretty hot where he stood. "Goodnight Kurenai.." He said even though he knew for sure she was long gone. What a day...


End file.
